Pull Tight

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 "One God — Many Forms / One River — Many Streams / One People — Many Faces / One Mother — Many Children -Ma"----Sign in the former church of the    "Thanksgiving dinner that can't be beat"  in the song. This sign offers good advice for civilization in today's world. My favorite holiday song and maybe the only one only heard on Thanksgiving. Been listening to this song most Thanksgiving Days for almost 50 years. You can easily find the song on the internet. Discovered my coworkers had never heard.  Might be time to start singing it again. Alice's Restaurant Massacree - Arlo Guthrie

Doing a little yard work today in prepartion for a party.  Broke the ax handle. Finished up with a chainsaw. Finished putting tools away, cleaning up and thought about my redneck cousins.  If some of them had seen me working, I might have been rejected as a family member. You might not be a redneck if the only chainsaw you own is electric.

Saw an excellent production of The Tempest under a full moon in Addison, TX last night . A near perfect fall night for an outdoor activity. Think the Bard himself would have enjoyed this production. This may have been Shakespeare's last play. One of my favorites, it contains my favorite Shakespeare quote. Hell is empty. And all of the devils are here.     This quote comes to mind frequently when our congress is in session and all in Washington.

A trip to the Calgary area wouldn't be complete without a side trip to the badlands.  Nancy was a little skeptical, but it turned out to be a highlight of our trip. We used GPS driving guide that was so helpful and entertaining I am thinking of contacting them to put one together for the area where I grew up. http://gypsyguide.com/package/drumheller/ Day started in the Rockies.  Sunrise from hotel window.  Wheat fields as far as you can see. As a teen I fantizied running a wheat combine and following the harvest.  Too busy on our own farm to pursue, but took a minute to admire the combines on the way to our destination.  Irricana is a town of about 1,000, with murals painted everywhere. Just off the highway along the way. This one reminded me of an old pick up I drove for a while, many years ago. Royal Tyrrell Musem in Drumheller is a world class musem of natural history and possibly the best dinosaur musem exhibit in the world. ...

Lake Louise - Nancy's late friend Myrt camped here as a young woman, probably in the 1920s or 30s. Said it was a beautiful place; still is. According to many sources it is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Trail around around lake is about 3 miles. A lot of old goats my age hiking the trail in brand new hiking shoes designed for heavy duty hiking in any terrain or weather.  This path was paved or crushed gravel for the entire walk. The best part of their day was probably when they took off those new heavy shoes at the end of the day.  The travelers  Looking back from half way, hotel  Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise  in the distance.  There were climbers beginning ascent here. Chipmunk friend, center of photo.  Hotel Lobby Walk to overlook for Lake Moraine, steeper and longer than it looks. Was huffing and puffing by the top. Saw a bus load of seniors unloaded at the bottom, not too many of them were destined to m...

When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps. Confucius Although probably in slightly better shape than the average Medicare recipient, realize I am still pretty out of shape.  Walking, leisurely bike rides (even if over 25 miles), a standing desk and a better than average diet wasn't getting me where I should be. Have committed to spin classes for a year or two on occasion resulting in some lost weight and better cardiovascular condition.  But, this didn't do much for strength, flexibility or helping lose the extra 35 lbs. Decided to give boot camp a try after hear a presentation by Camp Gladiator.  Just completed week 4.  Going to a camp close to home 3 days a week in the early morning hours. To say I am the oldest and most out of shape, would be an understatement, I describe the camp to friends and coworkers as me, the old guy and a bunch of mostly 30ish women who probably participated in the Olympic tria...

http://pulltight.blogspot.com/2014/12/little-cowboys.html Wrote this a couple of years after reading an article in the New Yorker.  It is now adapted into a short video on episode 2 of the New Yorker on Amazon Prime. Read the article and watch the video. This maybe the most dangerous sport. 'Charles, between you and me we could write a book on injuries.' "We talked just a few days ago." Charlie Sampson,  1982 World Champion Bull Rider 1996 ProRodeo Hall of Fame attending Lane's funeral on Aug 2, 1989.                                       

“If time travel is possible, where are the tourists from the future?”  ―  Stephen Hawking ,  A Brief History of Time Lunch at the Paris Cafe in Fort Worth today. Dining there is like going back to the 1950s. The place hasn't changed since then. Old pictures of the city and autographed photos of long dead celebrities hang on the wall.  The waitresses call you hon or darling.  Judging by the white hair, age spots and canes of the patrons, I might have been the only one dining not old enough to have voted when Eisenhower was president. And there was I, the tourist from the future, if only for half an hour.

In Texas until the past few years, much of the State prohibited the sale of alcohol.  Pundits would sometimes say "Texans will vote dry as long they not too drunk to stagger to the polls".  One of the small towns very near where I grew up had a wet dry election about 1970. Someone related an actual conversation between two, who could be best be described as a good Baptist brother GBB and the town drunk TD. GBB "How are you voting on the alcohol proposal?" TD "I am voting just like you." GBB "Didn't think you would be voting to stay dry." TD "No, I meant just like you I am voting the way I like" GBB "Oh" The town voted wet. This is the same town from the post (What is this World Coming to?) http://pulltight.blogspot.com/2010/11/what-is-this-world-coming-to.html As election time is approaching. I am sure to be asked how I am voting by some of my AM Radio Conservative AMRC relatives, friends and neighbors or perhaps ...

"There's not enough water in the world to choke down dry turkey" Marvin Rodak, Rodak's Coffee and BBQ Grills. https://www.rodakscoffeeandgrills.com/ Expanding on Marvin's observation, there is also not enough beer, wine or champagne. Using an accurate meat thermometer helps. But what really made the difference was the use of a Himalayan Salt Egg, see remainder of turkey above. Inserting this preheated salt egg in the turkey cut the cooking time by about 30-40% and resulted in the best turkey we have ever cooked. The picture above with salt egg still in place is all that remained after Christmas dinner. The turkey came out of the oven looking and smelling really good, didn't occur to photograph until we were well into devouring. At a dinner party one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too wisely. - W. Somerset Maugham, British playwright